[Review] Botanico at The Summerhouse: A Delightful Fusion of Grilled Asian Flavours

1-Group’s Botanico has made a grand return at The Summerhouse, offering an innovative take on beloved grilled Asian flavours, including Singaporean favourites like the humble kaya toast. Nestled in the historic Seletar Airport precinct, Botanico provides an urban escape from the prevalent built landscape, blending the artistry of the grill with the essence of Asian cuisines in a beautiful garden setting.

The grill, fueled by Wood Charcoal, Binchōtan, and Apple Wood, is the main attraction at Botanico. Each dish boasts a nuanced smoky flavour, enhancing the natural essence of the ingredients while preserving their nutritional integrity.

The menu, crafted by Chef Lamley, Executive Chef and Head of Asian Culinary Development at 1-Group, reflects the group’s commitment to sustainable dining, drawing inspiration from the restaurant’s on-site edible farm. Over 20 varieties of herbs and vegetables are grown at the back of the restaurant, with key ingredients in their menu sourced from local farmers and a regional kelong, reducing carbon footprint while supporting local farm produce.

We were invited for a dinner tasting and tried several of Botanico’s signature dishes:

The Foie Gras Kaya Toast stood out especially for us, as a creative twist on the classic Singaporean breakfast. The house-made foie gras kaya on chargrilled brioche perfectly balanced sweet and savoury, complemented by a rich, thick slab of butter. We would highly recommend trying this dish.

Other standout dishes for us were the Wagyu Bun, Wood-fired Grilled Duck and the two dessert items.

The Wagyu Bun seamlessly blends the smoky flavours of chargrilled Japanese Wagyu with Korean bulgogi sauce, paired with sweet Chinese Lotus Leaf Buns, combining three Asian flavours into one, creating something amazing of their own that is uniquely Botanico. This is another must-try dish we would highly recommend as well.

The Wood-fried Grilled Duck can be construed as an Asian take on the French classic Duck Confit, with an amazing home-blend gravy that we could not get enough of.

For the two dessert dishes, we were skeptical as to if they would work when we first read the names. Min Jiang Kueh (Chinese peanut pancake) and Ondeh Ondeh (Nonya glutinous balls with gula melaka filling, coated in coconut) are two popular hawker fares in Singapore that would seem odd to be transformed into ice cream dishes, given their diverse texture and ingredients. Surprisingly, both were well deconstructed, with the cold dessert versions elevating the humble fares into something different.

To complement their delectable selection of grilled Asian fusion food fares, Botanico offers a range of garden cocktails featuring freshly harvested herbs from their garden: